Supporting device for stirrup-straps.



A. GILES..

SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR STIRRUP STRAPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I, 1915.

' Patented Mar. 7,1916.

I Elvwwtoz THE coLuMmA PLANUGHAI'II 60., WASHINGTON, n. c.

ALFRED GILES, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR STIRRUP-STRAPS.

Application filed March 1, 1915. Serial No. 11,147.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, .ALFRED GILES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Supporting Devices for Stirrup-Straps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a riding saddle and particularly to an attachment therefor which permits the ready connection and disconnection of the stirrup strap from the saddle at will or in case of accident to prevent injury to the rider.

My invention is particularly designed to permit automatic detachment of the stirrup and stirrup strap from the saddle substantially simultaneously with or immediately following any accident, whereby the rider can free himself from the animal and'avoid any danger of being dragged by it.

One object of the invention is to provide v a simple form of device which permits the quick and instant detachment of the stirrup strap from the saddle when the horse meets with an accident. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel form of support which serves as a detachable connection for the buckle of a stirrup strap upon the saddle and permits the detachment ofthe buckle by any abnormal movement of the stirrup or stirrup strap relative to the saddle due to accident or pull upon the stirrup. V j I,

For the purpose of illustration, I have, in the accompanying drawings shown and herein described one form of device embodying my invention. v

Figure 1 illustrates a riding saddle," provided with a device embodying my invention, a portion of the saddle being broken away to illustrate the device and the buckle on the stirrup strap supported 'thereby. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of the device, the buckle and a portion of the stirrup strap. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device, the buckle and a portion of the stirrup strap illustrating the position of the parts when detachment of. the stirrup takes place.

In the drawings,

members 1, 1. 1 k

2 indicates the stirrup and 2 indicates the stirrup strap having abuckle 3 which ad- Specification of Letters Patent.

preferred ne-cting the ends of the strap 2 1 indicates a riding saddle provided with a seat 1 and side Patented Mar." 7, 1916.

justably connects the opposite ends of strap together in a well-known manner.

4 indicates a stirrup strap iron having an arm 4?. It will be understood that there is a stirrup strapiron 4, a stirrup 2, strap 2 and buckle 3, arranged at each side of the The parts just described may be of any form of construction; since they the in themselves form no part of my invention,

further description of them will not be necessary.

e 5 indicates a device which supports the stirrup and permits the quick and instant detachment of the buckle 3 for the stirrup strap 2 when the animal meets with an accident, thus obviating any danger of the rider being dragged by the animal due to either one or both of his feet being caught in the stirrups. comprises a U-shaped member one arm, of which may be secured to the adjacent side of the saddle in any suitable manner and serve'as the supporting member for the device. Preferably the'arm 5 isprovided with a hook 5 ,..formed integrally therewith, which fits over the arm P of the stirrup strap iron land thus supports the device 5 therefrom. The other arm 5 of the U,-

shaped'member serves as a hook over which of the buckle 3, or a loop or hook device connected to the strap,

the outer cross bar 3 is passed and positioned at the base portion of the U-shaped member as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

5 indicates a slot or opening formed in the I bottom or base portion of the U-me'mber and adapted "to receive the tongue 8 of the buckle 3. p In addition'to its function of contogether,

The device 5 preferably 7 5e,

the tongue perates with the walls of slot 5 to prevent movement'of the buckle 3 laterally of the device 5. The slot 5 is of a length to leave the tongue 3* free to move rearwardly (see dotted lines in Fig. 3) so that when a twisting or other motion, due

to any accident orlpull on the stirrup, is imparted to the. strap and buckle, the latter is unrestrained in its movement. For this purpose, the rear end of the slot 5 extends upwardly beyond the free end of the tongue,

as shown in Fig. 3

The arm 5 is preferably inclined upwardly and outwardly,

so as to leave a free passageway between it as shown in Fig.3,

and the hook 5 for the attachment and de- I other the buckle will be due to abnormal tachment of the buckle 3.- The free edge of the hook 5 is preferably beveled as shown at 5 to guide the bar 3 of. the buckle 3 through the opening between the hook and the arm 5.

The arm 5 is provided with inclined side walls 5, which converge toward each other at their upper ends. These walls are inclined to permit the instant and easy detachment of the buckle from the U-shaped member 5. It will be understood that when the animal meets with an accident of any kind, or is inthe act of running away, the

rider will be jolted relative to the saddle seat or thrown sidewise or backward. One effect of this will be to relieve the stirrup strap of tension due to the weight of the rider and cause or permit slack in the stirrup strap 2 between the stirrup 2 and the device 5. The stirrup strap and its buckle will in turn have a tendency to rotate or twist about the attaching and detaching device 5 as a pivot and as the opposite side walls of the armb are inclined toward each ride up one of these side walls 5 according to the direction in which itis twisted, as shown in Fig. 4, or moved, and automatically detach itself therefrom. Again, if the rider is thrown sidewise, forward or backward and the stirrup maintains its engagement with the riders foot, the latter will carry with it the stirrup andthus cause the buckle to detach itself from the device 5. It willthus be seen that when any movement is imparted to the buckle 3 such as ordinarily occurs when the animal meets with some accident, runs away or is thrown, the buckle will ride up one of the inclines ofthe therefrom. 7

Both side edges of the arm 5 are preferably inclined so that detachment can be quickly effected irrespective of the direction of the movement imparted to the buckle 3.

When a saddle is equipped with attaching and detaching devices embodying my invention, all danger of being dragged in case of accident is avoided, since either or both devices 5 permit the detachment of the stirrup, the strap and buckle therefor when the latter is moved in any direction which may 7 movement of the rider relative to the saddle seat.

To those skilled in the art of making de vices of the class described, many alterations in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of my invention will suggest themselves, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

My disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

It will be understood that there is a device 5 between the buckle of each stirrup strap and the adjacent side of the saddle, s0

' edge of arm 5 and detachpitself of the that detachment of therefor at either or may take place.

What I claim is:

1. A device adapted to be secured to one side of a saddle and provided with an upwardly extending arm to receive and support the buckle of a stirrup strap, one side the arm being inclined to permit the quick detachment of the buckle therefrom.

2. A device adapted to be secured to one side of a saddle and provided with an upwardly extending arm to receive and support the buckle of a stirrup strap, the opposite side edges of'the arm being inclined convergingly to permit the quick detachment of the buckle therefrom.

3. A device comprising a vertically arthe stirrups and straps both sides of the saddle ranged U-shaped member, one arm thereof the buckle therefrom.

4. A ,de'vicecomprising a vertically arranged U-shaped member, means for securing one arm of the member to a saddle, the other arm being free and adapted to receive and support the buckle of a stirrup strap, the sides of said free arm conver ing toward its end to form inclines which permit the quick detachment of the buckle therefrom. r

5. A device comprising a. U-shaped member, means for securing one arm of the mem her to a saddle,the other arm being free and adapted to receive and support the buckle of a stirrup strap, the sides of said free arm converging toward its end to form inclines which permit the quick detachment of the buckle therefrom and the base of the U-member being ceive the tongue of the buckle.

6. A device comprising a U-shaped mem ber, a hook secured to one arm of the member and adapted to engage the strap iron saddle for securing the device thereto, the otherarm being free and adapted to receive and support the buckle of a stirrup strap, the sides of said free arm converging toward its end to form inclines which permit the quick detachment of the buckle therefrom and the base of the U-member being formed with a slot to receive the tongue of the buckle.

formed with a slot to resupporting the stirrup, and a buckle for connecting the ends of the strap together, of a device having a hook arranged to engage the arm of the saddle and a member on which the buckle is detachably supported, the said member being formed with a slot to receive the tongue of the buckle, whereby tllile buckle is prevented from moving later a y.

9. A device for detachably connecting a stirrup strap to a saddle comprising a supporting member adapted to be secured to the saddle and another member cooperating therewith to form a support for a loop device on the stirrup strap, the last mentioned member having a the loop device will ride thereon when movement is imparted to it in certain directions. 10. A device adapted to detachably' connect the buckle'of a stirrup. strap to a saddle comprising a member having a hook which is secured to the saddle and another member on which the buckle is supported, the last mentioned member having an in- Copies of this patent may be obtained for side edge so inclined that five cents each, by addressing the clined edge on which the buckle rides when movement is imparted to it in certain directions and the hook having a beveled edge to guide the buckle ofi of said last mentioned member.

11. The combination with a saddle, a stirrup and a stirrup strap having a loop member, of a device adapted to be secured to one side of the saddle and provided with an upwardly extending arm to receive and detachably support the loop member of the stirrup strap, said arm having an inclined side edge on which the loop member rides when movement is imparted to it in certain directions, and interlocking means between the loop member and said device for pre- 7 venting lateral movement of theloop member relative to the device.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature,

witnesses.

ALFRED GILES.

in the presence of two Witnesses:

Gno. B. Prr'rs, JENNIE TYERS.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. v 

